Chögyam Trungpa was a person of outrageous energy, wisdom, and creativity. He is considered by many to be the single most influential force in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Dr. Reginald Ray, one of his first American students, remarked that, “Watching Rinpoche was like watching a star explode, rather than watching the life of a person; it seemed far more cosmic than human.”

Trungpa Rinpoche was a pioneer in bringing the dharma (the Buddha’s teachings) into many areas of modern life including the arts, education, psychology, healing, and business. At the core of all of these teachings lay Trungpa Rinpoche’s tremendous confidence in the spiritual capacities of modern people. He believed that each of us could attain full spiritual realization, experiencing all the fulfillment and joy that is our birthright as human beings.

An In-Depth Online Course with Dr. Reginald Ray

Perhaps his boldest statement of confidence in “the practicing lineage’s” future was Trungpa’s willingness to train Western students—like Dr. Ray—to become Vajrayana or tantric masters in their own right. Dr. Ray studied closely with Trungpa Rinpoche from 1970 until Trungpa’s death in 1987. Ray’s life is devoted to carrying forward Trungpa’s living lineage and transmitting it to others, which led him to cofound Dharma Ocean Foundation in 2004. Ray’s exploration of Tibetan Buddhism has spanned a 50-year period, including 40 years teaching meditation, 35 years teaching Buddhism at the university level, and accumulating over 10 years time in solitary and group retreats. During this time he also designed the transformative Meditating with the Body® curriculum and published numerous audio programs and books.

“Don’t Venerate Me, Become Me …”

As Trungpa Rinpoche always said, “Don’t venerate me, become me—I challenge you to enter the tantric existence yourselves.” While 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Trungpa Rinpoche’s death, in When Lightning Strikes Dr. Ray shows us that Trungpa’s dharma is as alive and accessible as ever. He notes, “Trungpa himself had been struck by the lightning bolt of the awakened state—the space around him was electric, and he taught us many ways to experience the awakened state within our everyday lives, bringing that fresh explosion of life force right into each precious moment.”

Through anecdotes, stories, dharma teachings, and guided meditations, Dr. Ray invites us to see and experience the world as his great tantric master did. Over the course of six video presentations we explore:

Session 1—On the Dot: The Awakened State Is Our Basic NatureHow Trungpa Rinpoche taught and demonstrated the awakened state. Highlights

Views and practices for understanding and experiencing our basic nature as the awakened state

The early years—Trungpa Rinpoche’s presentation of the dharma in the 1970s

Session 2—The Path Is the Goal: The Spiritual Journey of Our Human LifeTrungpa teaches us that to be human is to be spiritual. vHighlights

The four yanas (or vehicles of awakening)—Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Shambhalayana

Protecting and nurturing the tender, loving, and sensitive aspects of our deeper nature so that they can develop and flourish

Working with apparent obstacles on the path—the habitual patterns of neurotic, compulsive responses to life

Session 3—The Lion’s Roar: Every Mind State Is Workable (If You Meditate) Meditation shows us that there is nothing to fear; anything we experience can be liberated into wisdom and joy. Highlights

What is meditation and why do it?

Working with the chaos and overwhelm of our busy, modern lives

Somatic practices for welcoming in the ultimate and relative realities of our lives

Session 4—For a Crazy One, No Obstacles: Uniting Meditation and Everyday LifeHow the challenges, pain, and confusion of ordinary life can be transmuted into spiritual fulfillment. Highlights

Shining the warm light of meditation on our shadow selves

Burning down the false culture; individuating from the societal norm

Transmuting obstacles on the path; the wisdom of everyday experiences

Session 5—Redemption of the Body: The Tantric Path with Trungpa RinpocheRecovering the sacredness of being in the body, the earth, and the cosmos. Highlights

The path of desire—living an inspired life

Following our hearts; the organ that sees in the dark

Relationships and the path

Earth breathing and other practices for connecting with the elements

Session 6—Flying in the Immeasurable Expanse: Beyond Every BoundaryBecoming a spiritual warrior in all areas of our life—Trungpa’s teachings on Shambhala, or secular enlightenment. Highlights

Basic goodness—realization transcending religion

The modern bodhisattva—engaging the world as a spiritual warrior

Bringing confidence, precision, sanity, and gentleness to every aspect of our life

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Customer Reviews

Have listened to the first two sessions, so far, and also have been reading two works of Charles Fillmore (Atom-Smashing Power of Mind and Teach Us To Pray). Although coming from different traditions, meditation is at the heart of Ray's and Fillmore's teachings. Amazing! Both also teach that the human is sacred. I love that. I also love Ray's soothing voice, which slows down my mind. The meditations have been very rewarding. I look forward to the rest of the sessions. I feel blessed to be making this journey. Not always fun, often trying, as Ray points out, but for me absolutely necessary.

Anything Reggie brings forth is always more than just a program.
However, this one in particular, for whatever reason...the timing of it in my life comes to mind as well as the actual program, seeing Reggie and Tami face to face, the "transmission" which was more than obvious to me...well, this one brought a major opening and connection for me with Reggie's teachings in profound way.